


As You Wove A Bouquet Into A Diadem

by love_killed_the_superstar



Series: Femslash February 2016 [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Femslash February, Multiple Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-17 20:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5883709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_killed_the_superstar/pseuds/love_killed_the_superstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>2016 Femslash February collection.</p><p>3. “Come on, I'm being serious here!” Rainbow felt herself tearing up slightly as Garnet continued to chuckle, unable to halt her laughter for long enough to apologise. “Garnet, it's not funny! I'm putting my heart on the line here!”<br/>“S-Sorry,” Garnet managed to gasp out at last. She reached under her visor to wipe an eye, which had moistened from her laughter. “Sorry, Rainy, really, I – I just wasn't expecting you to shout it.”<br/>Rainbow pouted and buried her head in her hands, attempting in vain the hide the blush spreading over her face.<br/>“You're terrible to me. Who laughs when someone confesses their feelings?!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fucking Beach City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1\. “This isn't about the movie. This is about us. Getting to spend time together. In a warm place where the lights are off and there's hot dogs and popcorn at our disposal.”  
> Pearl glanced over at her, feigning shock.  
> “What? You're telling me, Amethyst Montero, that you're using this movie as an excuse to seduce me?”  
> “Well, what did you think? I'm expecting at least some under the shirt fondling. I mean come on, I'm adorable. I've even offered to steal a car for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this was inspired by the film Fucking Amal... I love that film  
> Anyway I gotta take part in Femslash February its my favourite thing ever!!!

The downside to living in Beach City had to be the sleet that would undoubtedly roll around every winter. Even on days that had started out sunny would eventually sour, dark clouds rolling overheard, pelting innocent people with unforgiving dribbles of lazy ice.

Pearl was sick of it, and every year she would bitch to Amethyst about how she was going to leave town, move up to Keystone where maybe the weather would chill out some, and every year she would realise she loved the beaches too much to abandon them just because of some crappy weather. And then the sleet season would be upon them again, and she'd unpack her spiel once more.

Currently they were huddled under a bus shelter that was falling apart, waiting to catch the deadbeat once-every-two-hours remote area bus to take them to the nearest mall so they could catch the new Star Wars movie in enough time to get back before dark. Pearl felt especially vulnerable in a thin winter coat and thermal tights that were doing virtually nothing to protect her from the cold, regardless of their self-proclaimed title. Amethyst was attempting to light a cigarette in her hands, but they were shaking from the cold (curse fingerless gloves for looking cool but also being fucking useless) and her lighter kept missing the cigarette by just a few inches. She threw her head back and cursed.

“FUCK! I hate Beach City winters!”

“Amen to that.”

She leaned back against the damp wood of the shelter and groaned. It was absolutely freezing, and neither of them had had the incentive to grab a coffee or hot chocolate from The Big Donut on their way to the bus stop. Trekking back down would just waste valuable time, especially if they ended up missing the bus because of it. Hell no was Amethyst going to wait another two hours for a bus. Fuck Beach City winters.

“Why can't you just learn to fucking drive?” groaned Amethyst, finally managing to light her cigarette and taking a drag. “Would make everything much simpler. Or we could just steal one. I know how to hot wire a car, you know. Vidalia taught me.”

“I'm not going to juvy for stealing a car when we can catch a bus that's going to be here in ten minutes,” pointed out Pearl, teeth chattering as she hugged herself for warmth. “Besides, why do I have to learn to drive? You're the one who got lessons from Greg. _You_ try and get your licence instead of just offering to steal someone's car?”

“But it takes effort, and I'm already busting my ass off picking up shifts at the fry shop. You try walking around in that fucking disgusting Frybo suit for five bucks an hour, see how motivated it makes you to add even more responsibility onto your plate.”

Fair point, especially since the suit made her stink of the sweat of three generations of Frymans.

“This better be a good movie,” Pearl muttered, after they had lapsed into silence for a good three minutes. “I don't even like Star Wars.”

“Look, me either. This isn't about the movie. This is about us. Getting to spend time together. In a warm place where the lights are off and there's hot dogs and popcorn at our disposal.”

Pearl glanced over at her, feigning shock.

“What? You're telling me, Amethyst Montero, that you're using this movie as an excuse to _seduce_ me?”

“Well, what did you think? I'm expecting at least some under the shirt fondling. I mean come on, I'm adorable. I've even offered to steal a car for you.”

Pearl hummed.

“Deal. But only once you warm your hands up when we're inside, I am not letting my vulnerable flesh be groped by ice cold hands.”

Amethyst grinned and held her cigarette to Pearl, who took it between her fingers with a grateful smile before taking a drag herself. She coughed; a car drove by.

“You okay?” Amethyst asked, thumping her girlfriend on the back as Pearl coughed out some more smoke. “Shit. I was just trying to warm you up.”

Once her coughing had died down, she met Amethyst for a kiss.

“Wow, you must really be impressed by my efforts,” croaked Amethyst, looking bewildered. Pearl blushed.

“Well, there's nobody around right now. And this is a much more productive method of keeping us warm, don't you agree?”

Amethyst had to laugh, and she took Pearl's cheeks into her hands, drawing her into another kiss much clumsier this time.

At that moment, headlight illuminated the damp fog, and Pearl dived out half into the road, waving. The bus driver barely stopped in time to avoid hitting her and honked in frustration.

Amethyst burst out laughing. “You'd risk getting hit just so we can get to a movie we don't even really wanna see?”

Pearl's eyes were bright as she said airily, “I thought we'd continue on the bus, that's all.”

Amethyst pulled her on before the bus driver had time to demand bus fare.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably won't be a oneshot-every-day type thing, just when I have time over the month to contribute something.


	2. A Mother's Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2\. As Rainbow sped off, slamming her bedroom door shut with a hum, Rose recovered from her battle damage and turned to Pearl.  
> “Always so full of energy. I can't imagine where she got that from.”  
> “Not from me,” muttered Pearl, and she opened her laptop up again to resume typing.  
> “Hey.” Rose scooted closer and put an arm around her wife. “What's the matter? Our daughter is happy, isn't she? And no longer calling you horrible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU where Rainbow is the daughter of Rose and Pearl because why the heck not it's adorable. Also we know very little about Rainbow so I got creative. (It's unrelated to Dream Your Sweet Baby Dreams)  
> Not all that focused on the romance but hey you're gay moms raising an adorable daughter together who likely has her first girl crush on garnet, can't get much gayer than that right

Rainbow knew how to get what she wanted.

“Mama, I don't wanna do ballet!” she demanded with a rather business-like approach, marching over to where Pearl was sat on the couch and slamming her laptop shut, effectively also trapping Pearl's fingers.

“Ouch, Rainbow!” Pearl yelped, prying her fingers out. “Don't do that again, you could have really hurt me!”

“Mama, I just said I don't wanna do ballet anymore,” Rainbow repeated, ignoring her mama's groaning as she flexed her fingers, which she suspected were already starting to bruise.

“What? But you love ballet, you begged me to let you borrow my old slippers and everything.”

“No, I hate ballet!” insisted Rainbow, planting her small hands on her hips. “It's boring and slow!”

“Ooh, has that Malachite girl been getting toxic ideas into your head again?” Pearl asked tiredly, eyeing her six-year-old daughter. “You don't have to do everything she dictates is 'cool', Rainbow. Ballet is very cool.”

“Is not!” retorted Rainbow. “It's boring and slow! I wanna do modern dancing instead!”

“But ballet is so rewarding-”

“I! Wanna! Do! Modern!”

“Woah woah woah, what's going on in here?”

At that moment, Rainbow turned her attention to her other mother, who had poked her head around the sitting room door at the commotion. She put down her shopping bags and made a soft noise as Rainbow tackled her into a hug without giving her time to take off her coat.

“What's the matter, Rainy?”

“Mama is being, horrible!” Rainbow mumbled into Rose's waist. Rose raised an eyebrow.

“Horrible?” she mouthed to Pearl, who shook her head in resign.

“I never said you couldn't drop ballet, Rainbow, I just don't see why you'd _want_ to.”

“Because I hate it!” she whined. “It's boring! And Garnet does modern, so why can't I?”

“Ahh. So that's what this is about.”

Rose scooped Rainbow up into her arms and sat down beside Pearl.

“Garnet's your new friend from school, isn't she?”

Rainbow nodded, still refusing to look at her mothers.

“She has two moms too. Like me and Malachite. And she's really nice and funny.”

“So you want to spend more time with Garnet, and do modern dancing instead of ballet?” Rose confirmed. Rainbow nodded again.

“Do you really hate ballet that much?” Pearl asked, baffled. “I thought you loved it. You've always loved to dance.”

“Yeah, but, I like dancing to, um, pop music. And Garnet says modern is like that.”

“Well, it's taught at the same dance school, isn't it? I don't see why you can't transfer classes. I'll have a word with the teacher, I'm sure she'd be happy to have you, Rainy.” Rose gave her daughter's unruly white-blonde mane a pat.

“Promise?” Rainbow asked in a tiny voice.

“I promise. And you agree with me too, don't you, Mama?” Rose asked, glancing over at Pearl. Pearl looked down at her daughter, still clinging to Rose like a monkey, and nodded.

“Of... of course. I promise. Whatever makes you happiest, Rainbow.”

“Thank you, thank you!!” Demeanour immediately changing from surliness to glee, Rainbow jumped up, kneeing Rose's bladder on the way up, and pressed a generous kiss to Rose's cheek, and then the same to Pearl's. “I can't wait to tell Garnet tomorrow!”

As she sped off, slamming her bedroom door shut with a hum, Rose recovered from her battle damage and turned to Pearl.

“Always so full of energy. I can't imagine where she got that from.”

“Not from me,” muttered Pearl, and she opened her laptop up again to resume typing.

“Hey.” Rose scooted closer and put an arm around her wife. “What's the matter? Our daughter is happy, isn't she? And no longer calling you horrible.”

“It's just... I thought ballet was something we could really connect over. She's not like me, she loves gardening and cooking and doing things _you_ like, and... I know she's still my daughter, even if we don't share any DNA, but... I still feel like sometimes I'm losing her. She doesn't talk to me like she does with you. I'm just the responsible parent instead of the fun parent, while you get to be both. I thought at least if she liked ballet we'd have something to talk about.”

“Oh, Pearl.” Rose pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “This is the type of crisis we're meant to face when she reaches her teen years, you still have time to bond with her! She still loves dancing, doesn't she? That's something she couldn't have inherited from me, I have two left feet and you know that. You can still talk to her about dancing. The principals are the same, right? Maybe you can teach her some of the moves you were busting back in the eighties, I'm sure she'd love that. She's always singing Cyndi Lauper.”

“Maybe,” agreed Pearl, sighing. “She did keep begging to borrow my old leg warmers for ballet. I wonder if they use them in modern too?”

“Either way, she rocks the look. Maybe it wouldn't hurt if you told her that sometimes,” Rose said softly.

“I suppose I haven't been all that great at communicating with her lately either. I've just been so buried in my work. We're so close to a breakthrough in this case, it's been hard to focus on anything else.”

“Well, sometimes Rainbow gets a little lonely. I do too.” Rose kissed her again, this time on her forehead, right between her eyebrows. “Think you can make a little time for us both today?”

“Yes. Definitely.” Pearl brought Rose in for a deeper kiss, and her laptop lid swung shut again.

“I love you,” Rose murmured when their lips parted for a brief interlude.

“I love you too,” Pearl echoed, kissing Rose one last time before putting her laptop on the coffee table and standing up. “Rainbow, get your coat on! We're going to the movies!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what my next chapter will be or when it'll happen but it'll probably be rainet because that is a ship that needs to be explored more and I ship it so hard


	3. Big Donut Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Come on, I'm being serious here!” Rainbow felt herself tearing up slightly as Garnet continued to chuckle, unable to halt her laughter for long enough to apologise. “Garnet, it's not funny! I'm putting my heart on the line here!”  
> “S-Sorry,” Garnet managed to gasp out at last. She reached under her visor to wipe an eye, which had moistened from her laughter. “Sorry, Rainy, really, I – I just wasn't expecting you to shout it.”  
> Rainbow pouted and buried her head in her hands, attempting in vain the hide the blush spreading over her face.  
> “You're terrible to me. Who laughs when someone confesses their feelings?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy valentines day as usual i'm spending it unromantically  
> rainet is such an underrated ship i don't understand, if u like pearlnet and rosenet why not rainet can you even imagine the cute possibilities this ship presents especially in early rebellion days come on

“We're going to miss fourth.” Garnet sounded almost amused as she leaned back in her seat. The Big Donut was, unsurprisingly, just as empty as it usually was during the winter months, even with the Valentine's Day special offers plastered on the outer windows facing the board walk. The advantage to being a board walk kid was that it was so far away from the high school that no teachers would spot them if they decided to skip. Like today. They were definitely going to miss fourth.

“I don't care.” Rainbow jiggled her leg nervously, waiting for someone to bring over their drinks, looking for anything to distract herself. Garnet was her best friend, and it wasn't like they hadn't gone to get coffee hundreds of times before, but this time was different. This time, there was purpose behind it.

“Won't your moms find out if you skip?” Garnet asked coolly. “Your mom knows like, everyone.”

“Mamas are both out on business trips, so it's not like they're going to get a call from attendance or anything. And I'm bored of math. What the hell am I supposed to use algebra for in the working world?”

“Fair play.” Garnet shrugged and began folding her napkin as small as she could make it. “What did you call me out here for, Rainbow?”

“What, I can't hang out with my best friend without some ulterior motive?” Rainbow whined. “You have something better to do?”

She was just putting off the inevitable, and she knew that, but Garnet was so... important to her. She was also incredibly intimidating in how calm and collected she always seemed, and Rainbow was so clearly driven by instinct, no matter how level-headed she was in more practical areas of life. When it came to love, nothing was practical, right? Maybe that was why her heart was beating ten miles a minute. But Garnet was so clearly unaffected by all of this.

...Maybe this was just a waste of time. Maybe she was boosting herself up for nothing. Maybe Garnet would flat-out reject her, or tell her they should just be friends, or want to cut ties altogether. That last thought was terrifying, but so was sitting on this scary secret of hers, and she knew that Garnet knew she was wrestling with something internally even if she'd been considerate enough not to ask.

When the drinks arrived, Rainbow took a deep breath.

“Garnet! I need to talk to you about something!”

Garnet's expression gave away nothing, and she took a sip from her coffee. Since they were outside school she'd put her visor back on, leaving her face entirely unreadable.

“Go ahead,” she said once she'd swallowed, before taking another sip.

Rainbow fumbled with her hands, feeling foolish. Gosh, maybe she should have... just waited another year. When she was ready. She was only sixteen! She still had time! But what if Garnet got another girlfriend by then?! She knew Opal had had been crushing on her for years, and it was no secret that Malachite was determined to fuck every girl in their class by their graduation day, so she'd be sure to scoop her up before then. Fuck. Shit! Garnet would be running off into the sunset with some other girl and Rainbow would have to marry some greasy politician who only cared about her body! Screw that!

“Garnet, I need to – tell you something very important!”

Shit, she'd already said that, hadn't she?

“Go on,” Garnet said with a slight smile, still holding her coffee cup against her lips. Rainbow reached for her bag and grabbed something – a box of shitty chocolates she'd tried making from scratch, to both the amusement and horror of her mothers – something to give her the courage she needed to continue.

“W-We've been friends for a long time. And I don't want that to change.” Rainbow swallowed. “Or I do. B-But in a good way! I hope.”

“I'm listening.”

Of course Garnet was listening, Garnet was – she was always listening to her. She was always _there_ for her, ever since they met in elementary school, started dance classes together, got their periods together. They were perfect. Perfect together. It seemed so silly that there was a doubt in her mind that Garnet wouldn't be sweet about it, even if it all went to shit and blew up in her face.

“Garnet, I love you, okay?!”

God, did she have to _yell_ her confession of undying love?! Garnet was sat right across from her! It wasn't like she couldn't hear her! And now the wait staff were watching her with piqued interest. How embarrassing.

“Shit. I mean... yeah, I like you, and I want us to m-maybe be girlfriends but j-just because I confessed in a public place doesn't mean you have to say yes, I just. I know this is one of our favourite places, so... I don't know, I was trying to be romantic, I guess?”

She swallowed and carried on, though her heart felt ready to burst from her chest. Her complexion resembled a tomato.

“God, I'm fucking this up so bad. I-I just wanted you to know, um. How I felt. Here!”

She thrust the box of badly made chocolates into Garnet's chest without looking at her facial expression. How could she? If Garnet hated her for this... Rainbow wasn't sure she could bear it.

There was a snuffling noise, and then a bark of laughter that dragged Rainbow out of her downward spiral. She dared a glance over to Garnet, who was hiding her face. Her whole body shook with laughter that was begging to come out.

“Wh-What?! Come on, I'm being serious here!” Rainbow felt herself tearing up slightly as Garnet continued to chuckle, unable to halt her laughter for long enough to apologise. “Garnet, it's not funny! I'm putting my heart on the line here!”

“S-Sorry,” Garnet managed to gasp out at last. She reached under her visor to wipe an eye, which had moistened from her laughter. “Sorry, Rainy, really, I – I just wasn't expecting you to _shout_ it.”

Rainbow pouted and buried her head in her hands, attempting in vain the hide the blush spreading over her face.

“You're terrible to me. Who _laughs_ when someone confesses their feelings?!”

“No, really. I'm sorry.” She could feel Garnet's hands around her head, gently tilting it to face her. Rainbow's hands fell away as Garnet leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to her brow.

“Wh-What was that for?” Rainbow mumbled, feeling more and more pitied by the second.

“It was an answer to your confession, of course. But really, I guess I already knew what you were going to say.”

“Why couldn't you have saved me the trouble, then?!” Rainbow moaned. Garnet laughed and pressed another kiss to her face, this time just on her cheekbone.

“You wanted to confess to me yourself. There was no point me saying it for you. Plus, you're cute when you're flustered.” Garnet's voice held a note of teasing to it, and Rainbow groaned.

“You're such a tease! At least don't make me humiliate myself next time!” She then fell quiet, and fidgeted with her hands for a few moments. “S-So, does this mean we're...?”

Garnet nodded.

“We can be girlfriends if you want, Rainy. Nothing would give me greater pleasure.”

Rainbow leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Garnet's cheek, and frowned as Garnet broke out into more giggles.

“Try saying that without such a bored expression then, huh?!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ye  
> i've also decided once femslash february is over i'm probably gonna upload these as separate fics since there's an embarrassing few fics so far for a monthly challenge


	4. A Sonnet For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4\. During their millennia of travelling across the globe, many had serenaded Rose Quartz with their false words, sometimes strumming a harp or offering a rose. It made her smile and laugh, and occasionally she would take a human up on their offer to court. It lasted a decade or two at the most, before the human fell victim to his old age or disease. Pearl had seen it enough times before, and each time she had held Rose as she wept.  
> However, despite having witnessed many a man showering Rose with fancy words that she found rather ridiculous, Pearl herself had never been on the receiving end of these rather silly displays. Until now, that was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE FOUR MINUTES OF FEMSLASH FEBRUARY LEFT AND IM FREAKING OUT THIS IS SHITTY

William Dewey was annoying.

The thing Pearl had come to realise about a lot of humans were that they found human women impossibly beautiful. They would sit at their writing desks night after night, conjuring Petrarchan sonnets for the women who had arrived on the ship, and they would describe impossible things – eyes like the sun, hair like liquid gold, skin like the ivory from an elephant's tusk. This would somehow impress the women, and they would fornicate, and then one day infants would appear, and the cycle would begin again in a different household, a different settlement, between different humans who thought they were just glorious.

During their millennia of travelling across the globe, many had serenaded Rose Quartz with their false words, sometimes strumming a harp or offering a rose. It made her smile and laugh, and occasionally she would take a human up on their offer to court. It lasted a decade or two at the most, before the human fell victim to his old age or disease. Pearl had seen it enough times before, and each time she had held Rose as she wept.

However, despite having witnessed many a man showering Rose with fancy words that she found rather ridiculous, Pearl herself had never been on the receiving end of these rather silly displays. Until now, that was.

He was stood before her in his best captain's clothing, sweating through his shirt, ruddy-faced and terrified as he unfurled a crumpled piece of parchment.

“Your hair, so soft and short,

like, um... morning rays of the early sun,

And your eyes, are, um, like pale periwinkles awash on the shore,

Goddesses cannot compare to the luminous-”

“Er... what?”

Pearl knew it was wrong to interrupt humans during their more adventurous thought patterns, but seriously, what?

He gulped visibly.

“I-I, um, w-wish to formally offer you my invitation to be courted!”

Pearl stared.

“Courted?” She furrowed her brow. “I must tell you now, I am not interested in pursuing a relationship with a human. Nor do I wish to be blown away by your unrealistic drivel.”  
He seemed disbelieving, perhaps expecting immediate success.

“What? You must be joking! It's a woman's job to submit to a man, it is how our world continues to build its-”

“I am not a woman. Gems have no concept of your binary human genders.” Pearl said this slowly, hoping her point would sink in. She knew it was difficult for humans to grasp things they did not understand, but hopefully William Dewey would leave her alone if he lost interest in what she had to say. “I may appear feminine and use feminine pronouns, but I do not fit into your binary genders, and therefore would be useless in your efforts to increase the population of this land.”

“B-But-”

“I have no interest in participating in your strange human customs. Goodbye.”

She walked away without another word, leaving him standing there with humiliation and anger written all over his sweaty face.

 

…

 

“I heard you've been cruel to William Dewey, my Pearl,” came Rose's voice some time later. Pearl sighed as warm arms wrapped around her. The sunset was beautiful, slanting in shades of pinks, reds and oranges into the burgundy ocean. She didn't resist when Rose pulled her gently onto her lap.

“I wasn't _cruel_ to him. It was a kindness on my part, telling him not to fool around. Gems can't repopulate this planet with humans, you know that, so why get his hopes up?”

Rose giggled. “So you're saying if children weren't on the table you'd be interested? If he just wanted to take you on a romantic walk along the beach you would indulge him?”

Pearl spluttered, “Of course not! William Dewey clearly isn't sound of mind if he wants to frolic with _me_ of all life on this planet!” She leaned closer to Rose and muttered, “Besides, how could I think of doing such a thing when I have you?”

Rose laughed heartily.

“How sweet. But if you'd like to court William Dewey, you have my blessing.”

“Trust me, I don't.”

Pearl buried her head into Rose's shoulder and pressed kiss after kiss into her silken skin.

“I find myself a little relieved, actually, Pearl. I feel like I'd get terribly jealous if you did. How petty is that?” She giggled and pressed a kiss into Pearl's hair.

“It's all right. I won't. Believe me.”

“I do. I promise I do.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmm wow so femslash february drew to an end without anything really being achieved. oops. i get too busy this time of year, next year i'll be in uni and hopefully have a bit more flexibility with my schedule to work on prompts. thank you for whoever actually read any of these crapfest drabbles


End file.
